NEW YORK RED BULLS

UPPER MONTCLAIR, N.J. – A new name has emerged on the Red Bulls radar on Monday as trialist Lloyd Sam began his term as a guest player with the team.

The currently out of contract winger trained with the team at Montclair State University for the first time, suiting up with the second team in a scrimmage against the Starting XI. Sam played primarily on the right side of the midfield and wore the No. 10 jersey recently vacated by the trade of Mehdi Ballouchy to San Jose.

“Lloyd Sam, will be with us for us I guess, seven, eight days,” coach Hans Backe said.

“He played the last two seasons for Leeds United and then he had short – he was on loan with Notts County for a long time now. That’s where I saw him [at Leeds].”

Last season, Sam made 17 appearances with just three starts for Leeds in the Championship, then had a loan spell with Notts where he had eight starts and two substitute appearances.

“We know him from earlier, so we know that he has qualities. But we haven’t seen him for like the last year, so it is hard to see if he’s become better or worse,” sporting director an general manager Erik Soler said.

“But we know that he has qualities. He’s very good one on one, good left foot, good vision, so he has some assets. But we have to see if they’re assets that we’re really looking for and that’s something we’ll try to figure out.”